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Freeport news: Advisory questions for Illinois, leaf pickup, and Freeport Park District's new executive director

Pile of fall leaves with fan rake on lawn
Elenathewise/Getty Images/iStockphoto

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Ballot questions need your vote

There are three statewide Advisory questions that are first on the ballot this year. All are stated in a format that only requires a simple yes or no response on your ballot.

The first one states "Should any candidate appearing on the Illinois ballot for federal, State, or local office be subject to civil penalties if the candidate interferes or attempts to interfere with an election worker's official duties?"

The second one says "Should the Illinois Constitution be amended to create an additional 3% tax on income greater than $1,000,000 for the purpose of dedicating funds raised to property tax relief?"

The third one reads "Should all medically appropriate assisted reproductive treatments, including, but not limited to, in vitro fertilization, be covered by any health insurance plan in Illinois that provides coverage for pregnancy benefits, without limitation on the number of treatments?"

Advisory questions are nonbinding. They allow voters or lawmakers to place questions of public policy on the ballot to be voted for or against at a statewide general election. There is no limitation to the subject matter of advisory questions. Questions can range from local to national to international issues covering public safety, the environment, foreign policy and everything in between.

Don’t forget that early voting for the November 2024 election continues from 8:30 to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday at the Stewart Centre at 50 W Douglas Street in downtown Freeport.

Vote eligibility for those with criminal records

Regardless of your criminal record, in Illinois anyone who is not serving time for a conviction can vote if they are a U.S. citizen, are 18 years old by or on the date of the election, and have lived in Illinois for at least 30 days by the date of the next election.

However, you must re-register to vote online, by mail, or in person even if you were registered to vote before your conviction. For more information, contact the Stephenson County Clerk’s office.

Drug Take Back Day

FHN and Freeport Police Department are partnering with the State of Illinois and local and national law enforcement agencies to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs at a Drug Take-Back Day in Freeport this Saturday, October 26th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Unused prescription medications thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold, and dumping or flushing unused medications down the drain or toilet can contaminate the groundwater supply.

The public is invited to bring unused prescription drugs to the Freeport Police Department at 320 W. Exchange Street in Freeport for safe drive-thru service to drop off pills or patches – liquids or needles and sharps cannot be accepted. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Highland Community College Fall Concert

Highland’s instrumental music department will present their Fall Instrumental Music Concert next Friday, November 1st at 7:00 p.m. in the Ferguson Fine Arts Center on campus. Tickets range from $5 to $12 and can be purchased online at the Highland website or by calling the HCC box office at 815-599-3718 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

New Executive Director named for Freeport Park District

Bruce Cubberley has been named the new Executive Director of the Freeport Park District as of October 16th. Cubberley earned a Bachelor of Science in Ornamental Horticulture at Purdue University and a Master of Science in Landscape Horticulture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Cubberley has been the Superintendent of Parks and Natural Resources at the Park District for the last five years.

“It is an honor to serve the Park District Board of Commissioners and the residents of Freeport. I see our parks as an integral part of Freeport’s identity and I look forward to providing high quality public spaces, recreation facilities, and programs for our community to enjoy.” Cubberley said.

This is an exciting time for the Park District with new projects on the horizon including completion of a new multiuse path along the south bank of the Yellow Creek in Krape Park.

Last days for area Farmers Markets

The season is drawing to a close for our great local Farmers Markets so be sure to take another visit before they close for the season. The last day for Stephenson County Farmers Market on Exchange Street in downtown Freeport will be this Saturday morning, October 26th and there’ll be Halloween treats for trick-or-treaters. The last morning for Freeport Illinois Farmers Market near the CVS on South Street in Freeport will also be this Saturday, while the Lena Farmers Market in downtown Lena will be open two more Saturday mornings with their last day on Saturday, November 9th.

FHN Festival of Trees Gala

Get ready to swing at All That Jazz, this year’s FHN Festival of Trees Gala, on Friday, November 15th at the Freeport Masonic Temple.

As the name implies, jazz music is planned to create an eclectic mood with overtones of fusion, soul, and swing. You’ll enjoy great tunes by the popular group The Groove Hotel, delicious delicacies, custom cocktails, and fascinating conversations with friends early in the evening when doors open at 7:00 p.m. Later in the evening, there will be plenty of opportunities to feel the groove on the dance floor, and both a silent and live auction will provide opportunities to treat yourself – or others!

The event supports the FHN Foundation’s exciting campaign to raise funds for a new linear accelerator, an incredibly sophisticated piece of radiation equipment to enhance capabilities at the Leonard C. Ferguson Cancer Center at FHN Memorial Hospital. Your attendance helps FHN hit all the right notes so that scores of patients can beat the cancer blues.

Grant for Highland

Highland Community College is receiving an Adult Literacy grant of over $81,000 through the Secretary of State’s Adult Literacy Program. Funding for the program comes from both state and federal sources and will go far in providing valuable adult literacy programming for Highland’s service areas. The program utilizes volunteer tutors to provide one-on-one instruction for adults who want to improve their reading, math, writing and language skills.

Leaf pickup

With all the wind we’ve had recently, many residents are beginning fall leaf cleanup. Leaf pickup begins next Friday, November 1st and here are a few reminders from the City about how to help support leaf pickup be as quick and efficient as possible.

First, leaf piles need to be on the curb line in straight line. Avoid placing piles near power poles and guy wires as well as storm drains, and don’t park close to piles.

Crews will pass through the City four or five times from west to east, and pickup will continue until the first significant snowfall. A leaf collection map is posted on the City’s website home page at www.cityoffreeport.org. The City updates it throughout the season but as the crews will make several rounds, a section marked as complete does not mean it will be left unattended for the rest of the season. Crews may just be done with that area for a time and will return again soon.

Plan your raking accordingly and remember, only leaves!

Halloween event at the Stephenson County Historical Museum

Spirits of Yesteryear, a spooky family-friendly Halloween event, is scheduled for Saturday, October 26th from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Stephenson County Historical Museum at 1440 South Carroll Avenue in Freeport.

Guests can wander through the museum campus as storytellers, including paranormal author Terri Reid, captivate attendees with spooky stories and entertain you with fun activities. A 19th century hearse will also be on exhibit for the evening.

FREEPOD and TimBeck2 host Tim Connors caught up with Rachel Gastel, Social Media Director at the Stephenson County Historical Society, for a little more info about this Halloween event.

(Admission is $10 for ages 10 and up and visitors under age 10 are free. Admission includes apple donuts and cider refreshments as well as all activities. Reduced admission will be offered for SCHS members. Proceeds benefit the Stephenson County Historical Society.

Bike Tour de Halloween

Another Halloween event for this weekend is the "Tour de Halloween" hosted by the ChainLink Cyclists group this Saturday, October 26th. This is a slow ride around some of Freeport's best-decorated houses to see their decorations and as such, it’s an evening ride. Most cyclists will be wearing a costume and/or riding a decorated bike. It will be about an hour long ride and is followed by an “after party” to enjoy time with other cyclists.

All cyclists are welcome, but be sure to have lights on your bikes. Riders will meet at 1630 Gladewood Drive as early as 5:45 PM with the ride departure scheduled for 6:15 PM. The ride will end at the same address. RSVP's are very welcome and appreciated at chainlinkcyclists@gmail.com. The rain date for this spooky cycling event is Sunday, October 27th at the same time and location.

The week ahead

As we look to the week ahead, the spooky season is upon us with lots of ghoulish events so here’s a quick reminder about a number of the upcoming Halloween happenings that we covered in more detail last week.

This Saturday, October 26th, is Bootiful Saturday in downtown Freeport. It’s a great choice for young ghosts and goblins to enjoy a free Scooby Doo movie at the Lindo Theatre at 10:00 and then trick or treating at downtown businesses until 1:30. For further treats and costumed fun also on Saturday, the Trick or Treat Trail at Krape Park welcomes all from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Later in the evening, the Train of Terror hosted by the Stephenson County Antique Engine Club will take those who dare on a scary adventure with rides at 6:00, 7:00, 8:00, and 9:00 p.m. And then of course there’s “official” trick or treating on Halloween itself from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 31st. More detailed information is included in last week’s newscast posted on our website at www.freepod.org. Happy Haunting, everyone!

If you are looking for something to do this week or any week, visit the Greater Freeport Partnership website at www.greaterfreeport.com and click on “weekly events” for a comprehensive listing of many more fun events and activities throughout Stephenson County. You can subscribe to their free weekly newsletter of events there too.

In closing…

In closing, we want to let you know that as promised, we’ve posted some great Northern Light photos from the Freeport area in the print version of this newscast on our website – they’re spectacular!

Welcome to FREEPOD, a local news source for everyone in the Freeport area. This weekly podcast is brought to you by a large volunteer group dedicated to providing to objective, unbiased news specific to our community.